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Padmé Amidala
Padmé Amidala (born Padmé Naberrie also known as her Name of State as Princess Amidala of Theed, later becoming ' Queen Amidala' of Naboo and Senator Amidala of the Galactic Republic) is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, appearing in the prequel trilogy portrayed by actress Natalie Portman. She is the secret wife of Anakin Skywalker, and mother of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa. Appearances Star Wars films Original trilogy Although she is not named in the final original film Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, the mother of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia is mentioned. While in the Ewok village on the forest moon of Endor, Luke asked if Leia remembers her "real mother" to which Leia answers "She died when I was very young" and also says "She was very beautiful... Kind ... but sad" which Luke confessing having no memories of their mother. After asking about their mother, Luke leaves Leia at the village to confront their father Darth Vader on the second Death Star. Prequel trilogy as Padmé Amidala on Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.]] Padmé makes her first film appearance in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. She is introduced as the 14-year-old recently elected queen of Naboo, dedicated to ending the planet's occupation by the Trade Federation. She attempts to deal directly with Federation viceroy Nute Gunray but he tries to have her assassinated. Padmé escapes with the help of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi but they are forced to land on the desert planet of Tatooine. Padmé — disguised as a handmaiden — meets nine-year-old slave Anakin Skywalker and his mother Shmi Skywalker. Anakin gives her a hand-carved charm on a leather necklace. She witnesses Anakin win his first pod race at the Boonta Eve Classic and helps secure his freedom. Arriving on Coruscant, Padmé consults with Senator Palpatine, who encourages her to appeal to the Senate to resolve Naboo's dispute with the Trade Federation. He persuades her to make a motion in the Senate to have Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum removed from office; Palpatine is elected in his place. Padmé returns to Naboo to fight for her planet's freedom, enlisting the aid of Jar Jar Binks' Gungan warriors and having the handmaiden Sabé pose as her. As Sabé attempts a peace deal between Naboo and the Gungans, Padmé intervenes and reveals her true identity. The Gungans agree to help and offer a diversion to lure the droid armies away from the palace. Once in the palace, Padmé's forces storm the throne room and capture the viceroy, ending the trade blockades of Naboo once and for all. A celebration is held to announce the unity between Naboo and the Gungans. Padmé makes her second film appearance in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones set a decade later. She represents Naboo in the Galactic Senate and leads a faction opposed to the Military Creation Act, which would create an army of clones for the Republic, which is threatened by a growing Separatist movement. As she arrives on Coruscant to cast her vote, assassins hired by the Trade Federation make an unsuccessful attempt on her life. Anakin Skywalker — now Obi-Wan Kenobi's padawan — is assigned to protect her. Palpatine sends Padmé into hiding on Naboo, where she and Anakin struggle to maintain a platonic relationship despite their obvious mutual attraction. When Anakin has a vision of his mother in danger, Padmé accompanies him to Tatooine in a failed attempt to rescue her from a band of Tusken Raiders. Anakin returns with his mother's body, and tearfully confesses to Padmé that he slaughtered the entire tribe. Padmé is troubled by what he has done, but nevertheless comforts him. They receive a message from Obi-Wan, who has been captured by Separatist leader Count Dooku on the planet Geonosis. Padmé and Anakin rush to his aid, only to be captured themselves and condemned to death in a Geonosian coliseum. They declare their love to each other and are saved at the last minute by Jedi Masters Mace Windu and Yoda, who lead an army of Jedi and clone troopers. This battle marks the opening salvo of the Clone Wars. Afterwards, Padmé and Anakin are married in a secret ceremony on Naboo witnessed by the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO. Padmé makes her third film appearance in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith set three years later. After Anakin returns from a battle, she informs him that she is pregnant. Padmé watches with increasing suspicion as Palpatine becomes a dictator using the Clone Wars to amass vast emergency powers and gain control over the Senate and judiciary. Palpatine later declares martial law, transforming the Republic into the Galactic Empire and naming himself Emperor. As the Senate cheers for Palpatine, Padmé says her famous and memorable line -talking to her friend Senator Bail Organa- "So this is how liberty dies: With thunderous applause.". Meanwhile, Padmé detects changes in Anakin after he has dreams about her dying in childbirth. Although she is dismissive of his visions, Anakin's fear for her leads to his conversion to the dark side of the Force; Palpatine corrupts Anakin by promising him the power to prevent Padmé's death and takes him as his Sith apprentice Darth Vader. After Palpatine seizes absolute power, Obi-Wan informs her that Anakin has become a Sith and killed everyone in the Jedi Temple, including the children. She refuses to believe him, but travels to the volcanic planet Mustafar with Obi-Wan stowed on board her ship to learn if Anakin has indeed turned to the dark side. She confronts him, and begs him to escape Palpatine's grasp and flee with her. However, Vader refuses, instead saying he plans to overthrow Palpatine so they can rule the galaxy together. Padmé recoils in horror, realizing that Obi-Wan had been telling the truth. Nevertheless, she still tries to persuade him to come back. Just then, Obi-Wan emerges from the ship. Vader accuses her of betraying him, and uses the dark side to choke her into unconsciousness. After Obi-Wan defeats Vader in the ensuing lightsaber duel, he brings Padmé to Polis Massa, a secret asteroid base. Despite the efforts of medical droids, Padmé dies after giving birth to twins Luke and Leia, having lost the will to live. Her final words are "Obi Wan...There's good in him. I know ... I know there's still ...." Padmé's body, altered to appear still pregnant, is returned to Naboo and given an elaborate funeral ceremony; she is buried with the necklace Anakin made for her when they first met on Tatooine. The twins are separated and are hidden from the Empire; Luke is brought to Tatooine to be raised by Anakin's stepfamily (Owen Lars and Beru Lars) while Leia is adopted by Organa of Alderaan and raised as a princess. Some scenes featuring Padmé were deleted from the prequel films. In Attack of the Clones, she introduces Anakin to her parents (Ruwee Naberrie and Jobal Naberrie) and informs him of her charitable work with the Refugee Relief Movement, a galaxy-wide disaster relief and resettlement organization. In Revenge of the Sith, Padmé is seen as a dissenter in Palpatine's government during the Clone Wars and an early constituting member of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, later known as the Rebel Alliance, and is joined by senators Organa, Mon Mothma and Bana Breemu. ''Clone Wars'' 2003 series Padmé appears in eight chapters of Star Wars: Clone Wars set between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith that aired on the Cartoon Network from 2003 to 2005. She is secluded on Coruscant and maintains a correspondence with Anakin, who is fighting in the Clone Wars, while avoiding assassins hired by Trade Federation Viceroy Gunray. She worries about Anakin's safety despite the assassination threats but is thrilled by his victories and graduation from padawan to Jedi. In one chapter, Padmé travels with Yoda aboard her ship when he senses a disturbance in the Force coming from the ice planet Ilum. Despite the protests of security officer Captain Typho, she accompanies Yoda to the world and helps rescue the Jedi Luminara Unduli and her padawan Barriss Offee. In the Clone Wars, Padmé is a source of diplomacy in the waning Republic. During the Outer Rim sieges, she and Typho travel to the planet Bri'ahl to persuade the natives to join the Republic's fight against the Separatists. 2008 series Padmé makes her fourth film appearance on Star Wars: The Clone Wars. While Anakin and his new Padawan learner Ahsoka Tano search for (Rotta) Jabba the Hutt's son on Teth, Padmé meets with Ziro (Jabba's uncle) at his palace on Coruscant. Her objective is to convince Ziro to side with the Jedi and let her contact Jabba himself, who incorrectly believes the Republic had orchestrated Rotta's kidnapping and subsequently executed him. Ziro has no interest in what she has to say and has Padmé forcibly removed from his throne room. However, she escapes her IG-unit guard and eavesdrops on him during a communication with Dooku. While listening to this conversation, she discovers Ziro has allied himself with the Separatists in exchange for becoming the ruler of the Hutt clans, and he has concocted an elaborate scheme to kidnap Jabba's son, frame the Jedi for his murder, and force Jabba to attempt revenge—an act that would surely result in his death, leaving Ziro as the sole ruler of the Hutts. She is discovered eavesdropping and imprisoned. Dooku suggests Ziro collect the bounty placed on her head by Gunray. Taken to the detention level, battle droids confiscate Padmé's comlink and blaster but she outwits them and tricks one into activating her comlink as C-3PO is attempting to contact her. She quickly explains her predicament before a droid smashes the device. Ziro plans to have her disposed of in an "accident" but at the last moment, C-3PO leads a squad of Coruscant Guard troopers to rescue her. They destroy all of his droid guards, and capture Ziro. Padmé then contacts Jabba, just as he is about to execute Anakin and Ahsoka for allegedly kidnapping Rotta. Padmé forces Ziro to confess his betrayal to Jabba, who promises swift punishment in return. With Anakin and Ahsoka saved, Padmé proceeds to negotiate an alliance between the Republic and the Hutts which would allow Republic warships to use unknown Hutt hyperspace lanes, an advantage the Separatists did not have. Padmé also appeared in the subsequent TV series in which, she is mostly portrayed working in the Senate working toward a peaceful resolution to the Clone Wars, although a few episodes have portrayed her fighting the Separatists alongside Anakin, Ahsoka and Jar Jar. She has so far appeared in seven episodes in the first and third season, four episodes in the second season, nine episodes in the fourth season, and only one episode in the fifth season. A trilogy of episodes were set to be released in the fifth season with her as the main focus where she meets with her old friend Rush Clovis but were removed from the season for unknown reasons and later set to be bonus material. Star Wars literature Padmé's background prior to her appearance in the prequel films is revealed in Star Wars novels and comics. In Terry Moore's comic "A Summer's Dream" printed in Star Wars Tales 5 (2000) and set a year before the events of The Phantom Menace, Padmé is the Princess of Theed, Naboo's capital city. A young man, Ian Lago, falls in love with Padmé, but she places her duty to the people over her personal happiness and rejects him. Lago is the son of an advisor to King Veruna, the reigning monarch of Naboo.Terry Moore, "A Summer's Dream," in Star Wars Tales 5 (Dark Horse Comics, September 2000), ISBN 1-59307-286-4.Padmé Amidala, Expanded Universe, at the Star Wars Databank; last accessed August 5, 2006. In the novel Cloak of Deception (2001) by James Luceno, King Veruna is forced to abdicate the throne following accusations of corruption. Padmé is elected Queen of Naboo and contacts Palpatine to inform him that Veruna has been mysteriously killed. She and Palpatine discuss the events that lead to the Trade Federation blockade of Naboo. She admits to him, "Naboo can scarcely afford to become embroiled in a dispute that pits the Republic against the Trade Federation."James Luceno, Cloak of Deception (paperback; New York: Del Rey, 2002), p. 323, ISBN 0-345-44297-0. Star Wars literature focuses on Padmé's career as ruling monarch of Naboo. The young adult novel Star Wars Episode I Journal: Amidala (1999) by Jude Watson focuses on Padmé Amidala's early career as and narrow escape from the Trade Federation.Jude Watson, Star Wars Episode I Journal: Amidala (New York: Scholastic, 1999), ISBN 0-590-52101-2. The Queen's Amulet (1999) by Julianne Balmain narrates the close friendship between Padmé and her handmaiden Sabé immediately before the events of The Phantom Menace.Julianne Balmain, The Queen's Amulet (New York: Chronicle Books, 1999), ISBN 0-8118-2462-4. Erik Tiemens's comic "The Artist of Naboo" details the story of a young, unnamed artist on Naboo who becomes captivated by Padmé's beauty. The artist features her in a series of paintings and later risks his life to save her.Erik Tiemens, "The Artist of Naboo," in Star Wars: Visionaries (Dark Horse Comics, March 2005), ISBN 1-59307-311-9. Padmé's role in the Delegation of 2000 – the senatorial resistance movement to Palpatine's growing absolutism – is discussed in James Luceno's Labyrinth of Evil (2005). The Delegation of 2000 is primarily concerned with Palpatine's calls for public surveillance and restrictions on freedom of movement and action. Still, Padmé is confident Palpatine will relinquish his power when the crisis is over: "He's not stubborn," she tells Bail Organa. "You just don't know him as I do. He'll take our concerns to heart."James Luceno, Labyrinth of Evil (paperback; New York: Del Rey, 2005), p. 57, ISBN 0-345-47573-9. The novelizations of the Star Wars prequel films introduced material about Padmé Amidala that was not included in the films. Terry Brooks' Phantom Menace (1999) includes a discussion between Qui-Gonn Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Qui-Gonn describes the of Naboo as "something of an unknown" before the Trade Federation blockade.Terry Brooks, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (paperback; New York: Del Rey, 1999), p. 28, ISBN 0-345-43411-0. In the Attack of the Clones (2002) adaptation by R. A. Salvatore, there is a detailed conversation between Padmé and her sister Sola Naberrie shortly after Jamillia appoints her senator. Sola chides her for ignoring her personal life: "What about Padmé Amidala? Have you even thought about what might make your life better?"R. A. Salvatore, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (paperback; New York: Del Rey, 2002), p. 20, ISBN 0-345-42882-X. Matthew Stover's Revenge of the Sith (2005) elaborates upon Padmé's role in the formation of the Rebel Alliance. Stover narrates Darth Vader's reaction to the death of his wife: Vader thinks to himself, "You killed her because, finally, when you could have saved her, when you could have gone away with her, when you could have been thinking about her, you were thinking about yourself ..."Matthew Stover, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (paperback; New York: Del Rey, 2005), p. 450, ISBN 0-345-42884-6 Padmé appears in novels and comics set after the events of the original trilogy as holograms and flashbacks. In Troy Denning's The Joiner King (2005), book one of the Dark Nest Trilogy and set 35 years after the events of A New Hope, Luke Skywalker discovers a 54-year-old hologram recorded by R2-D2. The image is of Anakin Skywalker informing Padmé of his vision of her death in childbirth. This is the first time Luke sees his mother.Troy Denning, The Joiner King (paperback; New York: Del Rey, 2005), pp. 210–211, ISBN 0-345-46304-8. Another hologram discovered in R2-D2 chronicles a conversation between Padmé and Obi-Wan. Luke and Leia hear their mother's name for the first time and it "shot an electric bolt of excitement through" them.Denning, The Joiner King, p. 345. In the final novel of the trilogy, The Swarm War, Luke and Leia see their mother's death and their own births.Amazon.com: The Swarm War (Star Wars: Dark Nest, Book 3): Troy Denning: Books Character Character creation In initial drafts of the Star Wars story, Luke Skywalker's and Princess Leia's mother was not well developed. According to Dale Pollock, Luke Skywalker was originally Luke Starkiller and "Leia is the daughter of Owen Lars and his wife Beru and seems to be Luke's cousin – together they visit the grave of his mother, who perished with his father on a planet destroyed by the Death Star.Dale Pollock, Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas (New York: Da Capo Press, 1999), p. 146, ISBN 0-306-80904-4. In an interview, Lucas answered a question about the development of characters like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke, and Leia; their mother was not a factor: Film historian Laurent Bouzereau reports that the second draft of the Return of the Jedi screenplay contained dialogue where Obi-Wan Kenobi explains to Luke that he has a twin sister. She and their mother were "sent to the protection of friends in a distant system. The mother died shortly thereafter, and Luke's sister was adopted by Ben's friends, the governor of Alderaan and his wife."Laurent Bouzereau, Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays (New York: Del Rey, 1997), p. 270, ISBN 0-345-40981-7. Lucas is quoted in Star Wars: The Annotated Scripts (1997) as saying: Revenge of the Sith does not explain how Leia remembers her "real mother." Film critic Peter Travers of Rolling Stone applauds Lucas's attempt to link the two trilogies in Revenge of the Sith's final scenes, but says, "It's too little and too late." He explains, "To hail Revenge of the Sith as a satisfying bridge to a classic is not just playing a game of the Emperor's New Clothes, it's an insult to what the original accomplished."Peter Travers, review of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Rolling Stone, May 13, 2005, available here; last accessed August 5, 2006. When Lucas drafted the script for The Phantom Menace, he envisioned a "link between Padmé and Princess Leia, the daughter who follows so closely in her footsteps.""Wise Beyond Her Years", part 2 of "Natalie Portman: Forbidden Love," at Star Wars.com; last accessed August 5, 2006. According to Natalie Portman, "It definitely did come into play how strong and smart a character Carrie Fisher portrayed, because I think that a lot of that is passed on from parent to child. I think George wrote Amidala as a strong, smart character, but it helped to know that I had this great woman before me who had portrayed her character as a fiery woman."Natalie Portman, quoted in "Wise Beyond Her Years." Paul McDonald notes that there are "inevitable comparisons" between the two characters: "both develop soft spots for rogue pilots, and both have a knack for slipping into and out of stilted British accents." Despite being diplomats, each is also the best marksman of her respective trilogy, rarely missing. Casting George Lucas, Rick McCallum, and casting director Robin Gurland auditioned over 200 actresses for the part of Padmé Amidala.Jonathan L. Bowen, Anticipation: The Real Life Story of Star Wars: Episode I-The Phantom Menace (Lincoln, Neb.: iUniverse, 2005), p. 3, ISBN 0-595-34732-0. They chose 16-year-old actress Natalie Portman to play the role. According to The Phantom Menace production notes, "The role required a young woman who could be believable as the ruler of that planet, but at the same time be vulnerable and open." Portman's performances in The Professional (1994) and Beautiful Girls (1996) impressed Lucas."Star Wars Episode I Production Notes: The Actors and Characters – Part I", at Star Wars.com; last accessed August 5, 2006. He stated, "I was looking for someone who was young, strong, along the lines of Leia. Natalie embodied all those traits and more."George Lucas, quoted in "Production Notes". Portman was a unique choice in that she was unfamiliar with Star Wars. "My cousins had always been obsessed with the films, yet I hadn't even seen them before I got the part," she says. "When it all happened for me, my cousins were exclaiming, 'Oh, my God, you're in Star Wars!'"Portman, quoted in "Production Notes". She told a CNN interviewer, "I really wasn't aware of how big a deal Star Wars was ... and when I saw the films, I really liked them, but I still didn't really understand how many ... were passionate fans of this film.""Return of the galaxy's new beauty New look, love interest for Portman's role in 'Star Wars'" at CNN; last accessed August 5, 2006. Portman was, however, enthusiastic over being cast as the queen of Naboo, a character she expected to become a role model: "It was wonderful playing a young queen with so much power. I think it will be good for young women to see a strong woman of action who is also smart and a leader." In The Phantom Menace, Portman had to portray a character younger than herself. In Attack of the Clones, however, her character had aged 10 years. Portman had aged only five years between the two films. She remarks, "Lucas wants to make sure I seem older than Anakin in Attack of the Clones, so it's believable that I can be bossing him around, and he's a little intimidated. She looks at him as a little boy – at least for the first half of the film.""No Longer ," in "Natalie Portman: Forbidden Love," at Star Wars.com; last accessed August 5, 2006. Portman signed a contract to play Padmé in the three prequel films. Reactions by critics to her performances were mixed. James Berardinelli called her acting in The Phantom Menace "effective,"James Berardinelli, review of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, available here; last accessed August 5, 2006. but Annlee Ellingson of Box Office Magazine said "Portman's delivery is stiff and flat, perhaps hindered by the gorgeous but cumbersome costumes."Annlee Ellingson, review of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Box Office Magazine, available here; last accessed August 5, 2006. Mike Clark of USA Today complained about Portman and Hayden Christensen, claiming, "Both speak in monotone for doubly deadly effect, though when not burdened by his co-star, Christensen often finds the emotion in his limited intonations."Mike Clark, review of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, May 15, 2002, available here; last accessed August 5, 2006. A Revenge of the Sith reviewer for The Village Voice accused "computer-generated characters like wheezing cyborg baddie General Grievous and blippeting fireplug R2-D2" of "emoting more convincingly than either Natalie Portman or Hayden Christensen."Ed Halter, "May the Force Be Over; The end of the beginning: Lucas's adolescent space opera concludes in a CGI Sith Storm," The Village Voice (New York), May 11, 2005, available here; last accessed August 5, 2006. Nonetheless, Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle described Portman's performance in the third episode as "decorative and sympathetic."Mick LaSalle, "When 'Sith' sticks to Darth, it's brilliant. When it doesn't, it lacks luster," San Francisco Chronicle, May 18, 2005, available here; last accessed August 5, 2006. Critics have blamed Portman's performance on Lucas' direction and script. Roger Ebert, for example, charged that in Attack of the Clones "too much of ... the film is given over to a romance between Padmé and Anakin in which they're incapable of uttering anything other than the most basic and weary romantic clichés, while regarding each other as if love was something to be endured rather than cherished."Roger Ebert, review of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Chicago Sun-Times, May 10, 2002, available here; last accessed August 5, 2006. He offered a similar critique for Revenge of the Sith: "To say that George Lucas cannot write a love scene is an understatement; greeting cards have expressed more passion."Roger Ebert, review of Revenge of the Sith, Chicago Sun-Times, May 19, 2005, available here; last accessed August 5, 2006. Todd McCarthy of Variety likewise lamented that "Lucas's shortcomings as a writer and director of intimate, one-on-one scenes" hampered Portman's performance.Todd McCarthy, review of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Variety, May 5, 2005, available here; last accessed August 5, 2006. Costumes An extensive wardrobe was designed for Padmé Amidala by Lucasfilm concept artists and costume designers. Like Leia Organa, one of the inspirations for Padmé was the Flash Gordon character Dale Arden. The wardrobe in The Phantom Menace was designed by concept artist Iain McCaig and costume designer Trisha Biggar; concept artist Dermot Power joined McCaig and Biggar in the design process of Attack of the Clones.Ian McCaig Biography, at Star Wars.com; last accessed August 5, 2006.Dermot Power Biography, at Star Wars.com; last accessed August 5, 2006. Biggar worked as costume designer on the three films.Trisha Biggar Biography, at Star Wars.com; last accessed August 5, 2006. Many costumes were inspired by the historical royal fashions of different cultures. For example, in The Phantom Menace, the dress which Padmé wears when addressing the Senate is based on Mongolian imperial fashion worn by Grand Empress Börte, wife of Genghis Khan, and other monarchs into the early 20th century. Padmé's travel gown in Attack of the Clones is based on 17th century Russian fashion photographed on Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna in 1903.L. Mangue, ed., "Reverse References", at Nerf-Herders Anonymous; last accessed August 5, 2006. The costumes of the prequel trilogy are purposefully more elaborate than those of the original trilogy. Lucas asserts that galactic society in the prequels is much more sophisticated.George Lucas, Costume Featurette, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace Special Features, (DVD, 20th Century Fox, 1999), disc 2. Commenting on the disparities between the two trilogies, Carrie Fisher mused, "Harrison Ford wears the same outfit for three flicks, and I was complaining that I wear, like, six outfits. And my mother – Natalie Portman – she wears three million. She walks through a doorway and there's another outfit. It's like the Liberace of sci-fi changing of clothes."Carrie Fisher, commentary to Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Special Edition (DVD, 20th Century Fox, 2005). Trisha Biggar reveals that originally there were only three costumes planned for Amidala in The Phantom Menace, but "Lucas decided that every time we saw her she was going to have a different costume."Trisha Biggar, Costumes Featurette, The Phantom Menace, DVD. Lucas explains, "Someone of that stature would automatically be changing their costumes to fit the occasion." Aesthetics aside, the wardrobe was designed to reflect key plot developments. In Attack of the Clones, Lucas wanted Padmé's wardrobe to mirror the romantic elements of the film. He suggested that her costumes be more "sultry in nature."George Lucas, Love Featurette, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Special Features (DVD, 20th Century Fox, 2002), disc 2. Trisha Biggar notes that Lucas wanted her to appear "sexy, gorgeous, and young in skimpy clothes."Trisha Biggar, Love Featurette, Attack of the Clones, DVD. Portman laughs, "I got over the hump of 18 so I'm allowed to show tummy now, I guess.",Natalie Portman, Love Featurette, Attack of the Clones, DVD. so during the battle of Geonosis the bottom part of her top is ripped of revealing her midriff, For Revenge of the Sith, Biggar says, "We knew that Padmé was going to be pregnant through the whole film, and nobody in the outside world could know that. Because she's pregnant, I wanted a soft quality to be apparent in the fabrics that were used.""Crafting Revenge," in "An Introduction to Episode III" at StarWars.com; last accessed August 5, 2006. Some of the costumes created by Biggar's staff did not appear in the final version of the films. In Revenge of the Sith, for example, a multi-colored "Peacock Gown" and a "Green Cut Velvet Robe" worn by Padmé in scenes featuring the Delegation of 2000 were deleted during post-production. Biggars remarks that the Peacock Gown had been one of her favorite designs and that much time and money had been invested in these particular costumes."Epic Designs for an Expanding Universe", Web Documentary, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Special Features (DVD, 20th Century Fox, 2005), disc 2. Ultimately, the Peacock Gown would be used only for the film's theatrical poster. The velvet robe was ultimately re-used for a short scene filmed during pick-up photography, thus appearing in the film, and features on the DVD cover art. Many of Padmé's costumes in The Phantom Menace were featured in the Japanese magazine High Fashion in 1999 and the Attack of the Clones costumes were in Vogue in 2002. The costumes went on display in the 2005 exhibit Dressing A Galaxy: The Costumes of Star Wars at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles."Star Wars: Dressing a Galaxy Opens Monday," at Star Wars.com; last accessed August 5, 2006. Trisha Biggar won a Saturn Award for Best Costumes in 2000 for The Phantom Menace and in 2003 for Attack of the Clones.Awards for Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace at the Internet Movie Database; last accessed August 5, 2006.Awards for Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones at Internet Movie Database; last accessed August 5, 2006. She was nominated in 2006 for Revenge of the Sith, but lost to Isis Mussenden, costume designer for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005).Saturn Awards, 2006, at the Internet Movie Database; last accessed August 5, 2006. Characteristics Padmé Amidala is depicted in Star Wars fiction as beautiful and graceful. In Cloak of Deception, she is described as having "a slight figure and a lovely, feminine face as one of the most beautiful, feminine women in Star Wars. She was remarkably solemn for one so young. It was clear that she took her responsibilities with the utmost seriousness."Luceno, Cloak of Deception, p. 321. Terry Brooks details the alien Nute Gunray's reaction to her appearance: "She was considered beautiful, Gunray had been told, but he had no sense of human beauty and by Neimoidian standards she was simply colorless and small-featured."Brooks, The Phantom Menace, p. 83. Brooks writes that she is "young, beautiful, and serene."Brooks, The Phantom Menace, p. 36. The Star Wars Databank describes her as "one of Naboo's best and brightest" and "interested in public service".Padmé Amidala at the Star Wars Databank; last accessed August 5, 2006. She demonstrates a devotion to the disadvantaged and deprived beings of the galaxy. Her childhood and adolescence is sacrificed to public service. In the Attack of the Clones novelization, Padmé's sister Sola Naberrie tells her, "You're so tied up in your responsibilities that you don't give any weight to your desires."Salvatore, Attack of the Clones, p. 176. Padmé relies on diplomacy to resolve disputes, often appearing as a pacifist. She is not, however, an advocate of appeasement, as she is willing to use "aggressive negotiations" to preserve democracy.Salvatore, Attack of the Clones, p. 319. The Star Wars Databank notes, "Despite her initial objections to a Republic army, Padmé nonetheless fought alongside the newly created clone troopers against the Separatist droid forces." Film critics Dominique Mainon and James Ursini classify her as a "modern Amazon," a reference to the warrior women of ancient Greek mythology.Dominique Mainon and James Ursini, The Modern Amazons: Warrior Women On-Screen (book) (Pompton Plains, N.J.: Hal Leonard, 2006), p. 199, ISBN 0-87910-327-2 Her combat skills are explored further through the Star Wars Universe. In Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones she quickly manages to defeat Anakin Skywalker in a wrestling match and throughout the course of the clone wars, she has fought squads of battle droids with hand-to-hand combat and a blaster. She is an expert markswoman and has managed to outgun Aurra Sing in the episode Assassin in Season 3 of Star Wars: the Clone wars. As a ruler and politician, Padmé is distrustful of bureaucracy, opposed to corruption, and attached to the ideals of democracy and the rule of law. She tells Anakin, "Popular rule is not democracy .... It gives the people what they want, not what they need."Salvatore, Attack of the Clones, p. 144. According to Mainon and Ursini, "she tried to preach compromise and reason, but the disarray within the Republic ... led her to doubt the senate's effectiveness." Her loyalty remains with the Republic until she suspects it no longer represents the democratic principles she espouses. In the novelization of Revenge of the Sith, Padmé advises Senator Bail Organa and Mon Mothma, "Be good little Senators. Mind your manners and keep your heads down. And keep doing ... all those things we can't talk about."Stover, Revenge of the Sith, p. 401. Padmé is sometimes mysterious and deceptive. She is described in Brooks' The Phantom Menace novelization as a "chameleon of sorts, masking herself to the world at large and finding companionship almost exclusively with a cadre of handmaidens who were always with her."Brooks, The Phantom Menace, p. 28–29. Her decision to quietly marry Anakin and secret discussions with other senators about Palpatine add to the character's duplicity. Paul F. McDonald of Space.com observes, "Amidala ... embodies many of the dualities that inform Episode I— war and peace, queen and commoner, form and substance. Unlike other characters, whose personalities are divided and usually warring against one another, her dual nature works to her advantage." He explains, "Amidala can be cold and commanding when she needs to be, or warm and loving as Padmé."Paul F. McDonald, "Amidala: The Goddess With Two Faces," at Space.com; last accessed August 5, 2006. Style In The Phantom Menace, Padmé Amidala, in her capacity as queen, is addressed as "Your Majesty", "Your Royal Highness" and "Your Highness". Contrary to usage in real monarchies, where the style is fixed and tied to the person's rank, in Lucas' Star Wars universe they are apparently freely interchangeable. Gallery Anakin_and_Padme_in_her_office.png APwedding.JPG AnakinPadme-DM.jpg AnakinAndPadmeInVindisLaboratory-BSV.png starwars1-movie-screencaps.com-3689.jpg starwars1-movie-screencaps.com-3703.jpg starwars1-movie-screencaps.com-3709.jpg starwars1-movie-screencaps.com-3713.jpg starwars1-movie-screencaps.com-3770.jpg d5.jpg d8.jpg d2.jpg starwars3-movie-screencaps.com-2905.jpg starwars3-movie-screencaps.com-2906.jpg starwars3-movie-screencaps.com-2907.jpg starwars3-movie-screencaps.com-2908.jpg starwars3-movie-screencaps.com-2915.jpg starwars3-movie-screencaps.com-2942.jpg starwars3-movie-screencaps.com-3002.jpg starwars3-movie-screencaps.com-3003.jpg d18.jpg starwars2-movie-screencaps.com-7020.jpg starwars3-movie-screencaps.com-4768.jpg starwars3-movie-screencaps.com-4770.jpg starwars3-movie-screencaps.com-4777.jpg starwars3-movie-screencaps.com-4828.jpg See als *Skywalker family References Further reading * Biggar, Trisha. Dressing a Galaxy: The Costumes of Star Wars. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2005. ISBN 0-8109-6567-4. * Hanson, Michael J., and Max S. Kay. Star Wars: The New Myth. Philadelphia: Xlibris, 2002. ISBN 1-4010-3989-8. * Luceno, James. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith: The Visual Dictionary. New York: DK Publishing, 2005. ISBN 0-7566-1128-8. * Reynolds, David West. Star Wars Episode I: The Visual Dictionary. New York: DK Publishing, 1999. ISBN 0-7894-4701-0. * Reynolds, David West. Star Wars: Attack of the Clones: The Visual Dictionary. New York: DK Publishing, 2002. ISBN 0-7894-8588-5. * Wallace, Daniel. The New Essential Guide to Characters. New York: Del Rey, 2002. ISBN 0-345-44900-2. * Wallace, Daniel. "Republic HoloNet News Special Inaugural Edition 16:5:24." Star Wars Insider 84 (September 2005). * Wallace, Daniel. "Tatters of the Republic." Star Wars Insider 86 (December 2005). * Wallace, Daniel. "Who's Who in the Delegation of 2000." Star Wars Insider 85 (November 2005). * Wallace, Daniel, and Kevin J. Anderson. The New Essential Chronology. New York: Del Rey, 2005. ISBN 0-345-49053-3. External links *Padmé Amidala at the Official Star Wars Encyclopedia * *[http://starwars.fidm.edu/ Dressing A Galaxy: The Costumes of Star Wars], an exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. Category:Characters Category:Female Characters Category:Star Wars Characters Category:Deceased Characters Category:The clone wars characters